Radiopaq Unveils Stunning First Web Radio Entry

It’s a brave move to make the step from software to hardware, but web radio specialist Radiopaq looks to have managed it with ease.

With the ‘Rp5’ the company has produced a high end DAB, FM and Internet Radio device which certainly looks the business both visually and technologically.

At its heart is a touch sensitive LCD which smartly mirrors the Radiopaq.com interface and a clever sync system means whatever preferences users make either online or with the device will show up on the corresponding system.

Like Radiopaq.com, the Rp5 is also capable of playing any radio station that broadcasts online from around the world while a predictive text search simplifies finding stations especially when combined with option to filter via country, genre or language combined with an unlimited number of favourite presets. The ability to download is in there too along with customisable traffic updates, news headlines and weather reports. PC content can even be streamed over a wireless network.

DAB and FM radios cover all other bases while any MP3 player can be attached to the Rp5 over USB.

As for acoustics, Radiopaq has also gone to town here with a five way speaker system offering a 25W bass, 15W per channel and 5W per tweeter meaning this is one unit which should punch way above its weight.

Speaking exclusively to TrustedReviews, Prash Vadgama, the co-founder of Navman and now president of Radiopaq, said “If I was doing this for the first time the stakes would be higher but (my time with Navman means) we are in a strong position. We see both our web service and the Rp5 in a similar way: one is a virtual product, the other a physical product. With the Rp5 we want to free users from their computer screens and make good music equally enjoyable from a comfy chair.”

He continued “The home is a more social environment and we wanted to provide options of how, where and which way you listen to music. Why limit your geography of content to UK. We live in a cosmopolitan way and we can expand beyond our shores. But simplicity is important, we have adopted the Radiopaq interface with the Rp5 because it is learnt technology for many people, it works well and we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel and force users to work out a new interface. We have added DAB as we believe it is a complimentary technology too so we hope we have come up with an appealing product.”

Sporting a £250 RRP sadly means the Radiopaq Rp5 won’t be affordable to everyone, but when it launches in September expect envious glances from all…

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